Steering mechanism for toys



May 26, 1959 c. H. VAUGHAN 2,887,823

' STEERING MECHANISM FOR TOYS Filed Sept. 12, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR.

% W MM May 26, 1959 Filed Sept. 12, 1958 c. H. VAUGHAN,

STEERING MECHANISM FOR TOYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FTTaF/YEX United StatesPatent 2,887,823 STEERING MECHANISM FOR TOYS Charles H. Vaughan,Pontiac, Mich. Application September 12, 1958, Serial No. 761,280 3Claims. (Cl. 46-201) This invention relates to a toy vehicle and hasparticular reference to a steering control mechanism for a toy.

The present invention contemplates a manually controllable steeringmechanism for a toy such as a toy automobile, a boat, an airplane, orthe like. The control means may be manipulated through a remote controlmeans such as a cord, which may also provide a means for propelling thetoy, although a separate motive power source may be employed if desired.

A principle object of the invention is to provide a new and improveddirigible toy and a remote control means for operating the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide a directional controlmechanism for a toy vehicle which is simple in construction andeconomical to manufacture. Y

A further object of the invention is to provide a steering control for atoy which may be remotely controlled while the toy is in motion.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and claims and may be understood by reference tothe accompanying drawings, of which there are two sheets, which by wayof illustration show preferred embodiments of the invention and what Inow consider to be the best mode in which -I have contemplated applyingthe principles of my invention. Other embodiments of the invention maybe used without departing from the scope of the present invention as setforth in the appended claims.

7 In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a toy vehicle equipped with thenovel steering mechanism of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the vehicle with the bodyremoved to illustrate the steering mechamsm;

i Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the steering mechanismin another position thereof;

- Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view'of the steeringmechanism; 1

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 4;

.Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of steeringmechanism; and Fig. .7 is a sectional view taken on line 7--7 of Fig. 6.

' A preferred form of the invention is shown in Figs. 1 to 5 in which atoy vehicle 10 having steerable front wheels 12 and rear wheels 14 isprovided with a steering mechanism. constructed according to the presentinvention. The vehicle 10 may include a frame 16 and a body 18 mountedthereon, with the front and rear wheels-12 and 14 supported from theframe 16. As shown in the drawings, the frame lficomprises a generallyflat sheet metal plate haviriganarrower forwardly projecting end 20 onwhich the front wheels 12 are mounted.

The front wheels 12 are journaled on a front axle 22 which is pivotallymounted atits center on a pin or rivet 24, projecting upwardly from theA forward portion 20 of the vehicle frame .16. The front wheels 12 formthe steering wheels of the vehicle and the axle 22 may be 2 pivoted onpin 24 between the dotted-line position of the wheels shown in Fig. 2 inwhich the vehicle will make a right-hand turn and the position shown inFig. 3

in which the vehicle will turn to the left when propelled in a forwarddirection.

The directional control mechanism comprises a rod-like control element30 having its inner end 32 rotatably anchored to a bracket 34 which issuitably secured to the vehicle frame 16. The inner end 32 of thecontrol element 30 is rotatably supported in suitable apertures inbracket 34 for rotation about its axis and has a laterally bent tudinalalignment with the apertures in the bracket 34- in which the inner end32 of the control element is supported. The control element 30 ispreferably made of wire'having some degree of resiliency and the element30 is bent so that it is maintained in a stressed or sprung conditionbet-ween its points of engagement with 'the bracket 34 and the plate 40,which is secured onto the front axle 22.

The up-turned end 42 of plate 40 is spaced forwardly of the pivot pin 24on which the axle 22 is journaled so that the control element 30willengage the plate 40 at a point spaced from the pivot axis of thefront wheel assembly. The control element 30 is shown in Fig. 4 and insolid lines in Fig. 2 in the position it would occupy when the wheels 12are set to move the vehicle in a straight line. As will be seen fromFig. 4, the control element 30 is slightly bowed between. its point ofengagement between the plate 40 and the bend 38 which leads to the endportion 32 which is journaled in the bracket 34. After passing throughthe aperture or slot 44 in plate 40, the control element 30 is bentupwardly as at 46 and then rearwardly at 48 and has an upwardlyprojecting outer end .3 or control arm 50 adapted to pass through asuitable clearance slot in the body 18 of the toy. A string or cord 52is secured to the outer end of the control element 30 for a purpose tobe described hereinafter.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, the control element 30 may be shifted betweenthe two limit positions thereof illustrated in dotted lines inFig. 5which correspond tothe limit positions of the front wheel assembly ofthe toy. The vehicle may be propelled by pulling on the cord 52 and thecord is also employed to effect steering of the toy.

When the control arm 50 is rotated to the right-hand side of the'toyinto the position shown in Fig. 3, the stressed portion of the controlelement, which is that portion between bracket 34 and plate 40, willreact against the plate 40 in a direction to pivot the same and the axle22 and wheels 12 carried thereby in a direction to effect a left turn ofthe toy. When the control element 30 is swung to its other limitposition corresponding to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,the stress of the controlwire 30 will be in an opposite direction toswing the front wheel assembly in the opposite direction to effect aright-hand turn.

A toy equipped with a steering control mechanism of the kind describedherein may be very easily operated through the control cord 52. Theresiliency of the control wire 30 is such that the same may be deflectedby a pull exerted through the cord 52 to efiect turning of the wheelsfrom one position to another, without change in the r0 tational'position of thecoritrol wire. Thus, when the arm 50 .of the controlelement is positioned at the righthand side of the toy, as illustratedin solid lines in Fig. 33

Patented May 26,-1959 enemas the front wheels will be turned to efiect aleft-hand turn under the normal stress of the control wire the cord- 52is allowed to remain slack. However, if a sufficiently strong pull isexerted on the cord 52 with the control arm 50in the Fig. 3 position,the control wire will be deflected sufiiciently to the dotted lineposition shown in Fig. 3 to turn. the wheels 12 to efiect a right-handturn, while the control arm 50 remains at the right-hand side of the toybecause of the pull exerted through the cord. When the vehicle is swungin an are at the end of the cord 52, for example, in a right-hand turn,with the control arm 50 extending toward the operator from theright-hand side of the toy, the control wire will be deflected to turnthe wheels to the right as long as the cord is maintained sulficientlytaut under the influence of centrifugal force. If the cord is thenallowed to go slack, the control wire, while remaining in the samerotational position will turn the wheels to the left due to theresiliency of the wire and the normal stress imparted thereto by itsengagement with the bracket40. The vehicle will then continue in aleft-hand turn and, as soon as the vehicle reaches a certain point. inits left-hand turn relative to the position of the operator, a pull onthe cord will swing the upper end 50 of the control element 30 over toits other limit position. If thecord were then to be allowed to goslack, the leverage of the bowed portion of the control wire would bedirected in the opposite direction against the plate 40 to pivot thesteering wheel assembly in the opposite direction, whereupon the toywould begin to execute a 180 turn. However, if instead a strong pull isagain exerted through the cord 52, the control wire will be deflected toturn the wheels for a left-hand turn as long as the cord is maintainedin a taut condition by swinging the toy in an are at the end of thecord, even though the arm 50 now extends from the left-hand'side of thevehicle. Subsequent slackening ofthe cord will allow the wheels to beturned bythe stress of. the control wire to eifect a right-hand turn andafter av certain point is reached in such turn the control arm 50 willswing over to the opposite or righthand side of:the toy by a slight pullon the cord, to complete the cycle. Thus byproper manipulation of thecontrol cord 52, the toy can be made to traverse a path simulating afigure 8 by executing a substantially 180 turn at each end of: the pathof movement.

In. the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 6'

and 7, the construction is essentially the same as that previouslydescribed, exceptthat the front wheels 12 are mounted on separate axles60, each of which is pivotally supported from the frame 16. In thismodification a bracket 62 is suitably secured on the forward end of theframe 16 such as byspot welding or the like. The bracket 62.pivotallysupports' a bearing element 64 at each end thereof. Each bearing element64 is pivoted on a pin 66 supported by the bracket 62. The wheelsupporting'axles 60.,are supported in thebearing elements 64. A plate 68is provided at its ends with depending pins 70 journaled in suitableapertures in the bearing elements 64. The plate 68 has a slot 72 throughwhich the control wire 30 extends as inthe previous modification, withthe control wire being stressed between its points of engagement withthe plate 68 and the fixed anchor bracket to which the inner end of thewire 30 is connected as in the previous modification. The operation ofthe steering arrangement shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is the same as in theprevious modification and movement of the control element 30 into oneposition will through plate 68 effect pivoting of the bearing elements64 in one direction to turn the steering wheels 12. Movement of thecontrol, element 30 to its other position will swing bearing elements 64in the opposite direction to turn the vehicle in the opposite direction.

The, invention has been described in connection with a toy automotivevehicle,but itwill be apparent that the novel steering control mechanismmight be employed for operating a direction controlling member such as arudder on a boat or a suitable airplane control surface. It is alsocontemplated that the control mechanism might be employed forcontrolling a single steerable wheel such as in a three-wheeled toyvehicle. The novel steering control might also be employed in a toyvehicle provided with an independent motive power source, such as afiywheel or spring type motor.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending applicationSerial No. 619,446. filed October 31, 1956, now abandoned, for SteeringMechanism for Toys.

While I have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is understood that these are capable of modification, andI therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forthbut desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fallwithin the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a toy having a body, a direction controlling member pivotallymounted on said body, a control element in the form of a wire rotatablysupported on said body for rotation on its axis, said control elementengaging said direction controlling member at a point spaced from thepivot axis of the latter and having an arm extending laterallytherefrom, and a manually manipulatable cord connected to said arm forimparting movement to said toy and for rotating said control elementtoward the side of the toy from which the pull is exerted on the cord,said control element being resilient and deflected by its saidengagement with said direction controlling member so as to be'stressedto exert a turning force on said direction controlling member, thedirection of which turning force is determined by the rotationalposition of said control element, said control element being disposed sothat, when the cord is slack, the stress imparted thereto by saidengagement with said direction controlling member reacts against andturns the latter to eifect turning of the toy in a direction oppositethe side of the toy on which said arm is disposed, said control elementbeing adapted to yield in response to a pull thereon through said cordto turn said direction controlling member and toy in the oppositedirection without change in the rotational posi tion of said controlelement.

2. In a toy having a body, a direction controlling member pivotallymounted on said body, a control element in the form of a wire rotatablysupported on said body for rotation on its axis, said control elementengaging said direction controlling member at a point spaced from the tosaid control element for imparting movement to said toy and for rotatingsaid control element between said positions, said control element beingadapted to yield and be deflected without change in its rotationalposition in response to a pull thereon through said cord to pivot saiddirection controlling member and thereby turn the toy in the directionopposite that to which it is turned in response to the said turningforce exerted thereon by the stress of said control element.

3. In a toy having a body, a direction controlling member pivotallymounted on said body, a control element in the form of-a wire rotatablysupported on said body for rotation on its axis, said control elementengaging said direction controlling member at a point spaced from thepivot axis of the latter and having an arm extending laterallytherefrom, and a manually manipulatable cord connected to said arm forimparting movement to said toy and for rotating said control elementtoward the side of liontrolling nieinber, the direction of which turningforce is determined by the rotational position of said control element,said control element being disposed so that, when the cord is slack andsaid arm is disposed at one side of the toy, said turning force effectsturning of the toy toward the opposite side thereof, said controlelement being adapted to yield in response to a pull thereon throughsaid cord to turn said direction controlling memher and the toy in theother direction Without change in the rotational position of saidcontrol element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

